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14 February 2018

INTERVIEW: Shoe Shine Six.

Russian-based four-piece Shoe Shine Six hit our
radar in January upon the release of their debut EP, Sunday. The EP
features a handful of heavy, gorgeous tracks that would be impressive for a
seasoned band, and they are even more so as a debut collection of tunes. If
this is what SSS has for us coming out of the gate, we expect grand things from
this project.

Shoe Shine Six is Katarina Voronina (vocals), Paul
Alimpiev (guitar), Mike Tulubaev (bass) and Serge Markoff (drums). We highly
recommend that you check out Shoe Shine Six’s Sunday EP, and do enjoy the following interview with the band’s
founding members, Mike and Paul.

How
and when was the band formed?

M: As a 4-piece collective we began to work during
the spring of 2017, but to be honest, everything began at the end of 2015, when
I met Paul. We found out that we have same music interests and decided to help
each other to compose and modify the tracks. Eventually, somewhere near the end
of 2016, we got the idea to search for other band members for live sets. It was
hard, but finally we found a corresponding drummer, who brought the vocalist
with him into the band. As I noted, it was in the spring of 2017. Then the hard
work began, which led to our debut EP Sunday.

Can
you tell us what the band has been working on and what you've got forthcoming
in the near future (any new releases, tour, etc.)?

P: At the current moment we are working on new
tracks, playing them at some local bars, concert halls, etc. Somewhere near the
autumn we plan to release the new album.

M: What about tour… Well, we are thinking about it,
it exists as a plan. Hopefully it could be at the earliest in spring – just a small
set of cities in our country. We are open to any offers :)

Do
you consider your music to be part of the current shoegaze/dream pop scene, or
any scene? Defining one's sound by genre can be tiresome, but do you feel that
the band identifies closely with any genre? How do you feel about genres in
music, in a general sense?

M: In my opinion, we belong with the current
shoegaze scene, but on the other hand, we do not play canonical shoegaze or
dream pop. There’s a Sonic Youth influence and others, as well. We play kind of
heavy shoegaze. Therefore, I don’t think we don’t belong to single genre.

P: We are playing the music we want to play. Genre
division is required, of course, for the listener. The listener wants to know
what kind of music to expect from a band. Generally, a band isn’t interesting
unless they introduce something new based on theirs views and tastes.

What
do you think of modern shoegaze/dream pop/psychedelia artists, any favorites?

P: I feel proud that the scene has broadened so much.
The sound has grown and become different and interesting, moving past the My
Bloody Valentine and Slowdive borders. There are a lot of interesting
crossovers happening -- shoegaze and noise, shoegaze and drone, punk, metal, etc.
-- it is cool! For new bands, I would say Weed, Narrow Head, Shy Low,
Blankenberge, Pure Ghost, Broken Water, Dekabrist.

What
is the most important piece of gear for your sound? Any particular
guitars/pedals/amps that you prefer?

P: My sacred cow is Peavey 5150, another
significant stuff is Boss DF-2, DS-2, BF-2, Zvex Super Duper and Ibanez DE-7.
М: I am a fan of TC Electronic. In my pedalboard I have TC Transition and TC
Hall of Fame. Besides that, I use the Bass Big Muff.

What
is your process for recording your music? What gear and/or software do you use?
What would you recommend for others?

M: Although recording drums first is the common
way, our recording process starts with guitar, which allows us to record the
other stuff independently.

Do
you prefer vinyl, CD, cassette tape or mp3 format when listening to music? Do
you have any strong feelings toward any of them?

P: I really like old vinyl and cassette tapes. The
first one because of mixing peculiarity and those crazy sound dimensions. The
second one because of its sturdiness.

M: I like old vinyl because of the warm sound, the
sense of otherworldliness, but I prefer CD – I don’t have a record player in my
car! :)

What
artists (musicians or otherwise) have most influenced your work?

P: I should emphasize the whole scream-emo scene
from Rites of Spring to Envy, Converge. Others are A Place To Bury Strangers,
Alison’s Halo, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Pixies, Slowdive. As the cherry on top, I would
especially note Sonic Youth, Fugazi and Bad Religion. So much thanks to Pablo
Picasso for Guernica. I placed it on my amplifier and it has influenced my
creativity for 12 years.

M: I could point out bands like Sonic Youth,
Alison’s Halo, Slowdive and even Oasis. I would also name H.G. Wells, Ray
Bradbury and Erlend Loe.

What
is your philosophy (on life), if any, that you live by?

P: Trying not to be a pretentious jackass with
varying success :)

M: Never lie, say everything you have on your
mind, deliver on your promises, and life will be easier.